Und es war Sommer

Simon and Garfunkel, The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Donovan and Bob Dylan on the one side, Hildegard Knef, Udo Jürgens and Alexandra on the other: they and many more are the idols of an era. Their songs reveal a lot about the time and about the power of music, which catches a sense of life, starts trends, talks about societal issues and pursues them. The songs of the sixties, in particular, are not only hits but expressions of opinions and milestones of music genres. They have lost none of their energy. Songs like “Bridge over troubled water”, “All you need is Love”, “Lola” or “Sehnsucht” reached the status of classics ages ago. KOmm gib mir deine Hand talks about the music of the Sixties and the sense of life of that era. (Gandersheimer Domfestspiele)

“Bullseye with sex appeal: It seems like now is the time to put the music and the spirit of the 60s on stage, as Hilke Bultmann has done. With a symphony of student movement slogans and the rumbling utterances of the petit bourgeois, she has hit the bullseye. Skilfully, she portrays two worlds.” (HNA)

“It’s about the fight of generations – of bourgeoisie and revolution – with a happy end that’s simply worth watching. Our scene is a music club in a small town. Here, the wind of ‘68 starts blowing, mostly thanks to an APO-student from Berlin. The musical theatre covers everything from schlager songs through the flower power era and up to the rock of the Rolling Stones. Anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the music of the time has come to the right place.” (Die Eule)

Economy Minister Erhard had promised wealth for everyone, and Petticoat and Minirock is about this economic miracle era. It is the story of people who meet for the first time in the Fifties: on the MS Binger Loch, a river cruise ship travelling between Koblenz and Bingen. On board is the Krautkrämer family, marked by the abundance of food and consumption, a businessman who ascribes his success to always having been in the right party, his secretary, longing for luxury and a wedding ring, a musical hit composer and a showgirl trying to build a joint career, and finally a bitter barkeeper, a late returnee who found himself outside in front of the door and a young, rebellious steward. All of them have dreams, but when they meet again on a cruise on a dream ship in the Mediterranean in the early Sixties it becomes clear that dreams are but shadows, and in life and love some things turn out unexpectedly.

The “Ship to Bliss” in Petticoat und Minirock sailed through the economic miracle of the 50s and early 60s, which produced a well-fed (Western) Germany. Consumerism and fashion seemed the most popular subjects. But under the surface, things are seething, and soon it becomes obvious that the home-made mixture of denial of the German past and materialistic pressures will boil over.
And in the middle of the APO time, we meet the Krautkrämer family again: Renate, Egon and their daughter Heidemarie. The Krautkrämer family lives and works, sometimes peacefully, sometimes less so, on a campsite by the beautiful river Rhine. But it’s not just Heidemarie’s husband, Rudolf Petry, who causes turmoil. Permanent camper Pete, who as the former boss of “Building Construction Kassel” is a man of the world, and weekend holidaymaker Karin play their part in the general confusion as well. Last but not least, there are the young students who meet at the campsite to plan a political campaign, but also to find out what “free love” is all about.

The campsite isn’t the last stop for Egon, Renate, Heidemarie and the campers. The journey takes us to the 70s – the time of sit-ins, Emma, RAF wanted posters, joints, the oil crisis and the shemagh – but also the time of disco, Pril-flowers, flared trousers and platform soles. The Krautkrämers have ended up in a Frankfurt neighbourhood pub and, outside, one demonstration follows the other. The times are changing, and with them, so are the life goals of the characters.

Brittelbach – a small town somewhere in the republic. The place’s main attraction is its football club, SpVgg Brittelbach. This club made football history: during the 1975 German Cup, they managed to beat the superior Bavarians, and only a year later they ascended into the ranks of paid football. The heart and soul of the team at the time was striker Paul Schäfer, who stayed true to the club even as it plummeted back down the divisions. Now, he is the coach, and sometimes the youth team produces promising talents. His own son even managed to become a professional footballer. His wife, on the other hand, runs the clubhouse.

The yearly club party is coming up. The anniversary of the oversized stand, which has seen better days, is to be celebrated. But then a catastrophe looms: a row with the main sponsor during the club meeting. The situation looks dire, especially because the sponsor is also the mayor of the little town and thus has enough power to out-manoeuvre the club. A race against time begins, a good defensive line must be established.

Auf gleicher Höhe is a homage to the people who live for football. At the same time, it’s a story about life in the countryside.

For the 2010 summer season, Hilke Bultmann has once again written a schlageretta for the Gandersheimer Domfestspiele. Instead of a decade – for example the Fifties in Petticoat und Minirock, or the Sixties in Komm gibt mir deine Hand – a musical genre is the foundation this time, swing à la Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. The three giants of showbusiness performed together as the “Rat Pack” in Las Vegas – talking, drinking and captivating audiences while singing about love in all its facets.

Fliege mich zum Mond deals with the topic of love and all its consequences. Three old friends meet again when attending a wedding. A fair amount of time has passed since their last meeting. So there is enough to talk about, especially considering the occasion and especially concerning love. The bridal couple themselves spark some questions. And of course, the women of the wedding party contribute to the topic of conversation.
“You Are My Lucky Star”, “That’s Amore”, “All Of Me”, “My Funny Valentine”, “Stormy Weather”, “Night and Day”, “Everybody Loves Somebody”, “Witchcraft”, “I Get A Kick Out Of You” and countless other songs: the repertoire of the three exceptional singers is nearly inexhaustible. Some of these songs can be heard, as well as “Fly Me To The Moon”, of course.

“The Gandersheimer Domfestspiele have got the hang of the art of the musical summer entertainment. This is once again proven by the new musical revue Fliege mich zum Mond, which was performed for the first time in the most beautiful summer weather on Friday in front of the cathedral. Playwright Hilke Bultmann has again succeeded in brewing an exciting mixture of music and theatre…” (Northeimer Neueste Nachrichten)

80s parties, revival shows, the comeback of leggings, ultimate chart shows: the 80s are considered iconic already. Strange? Not at all: this decade was as multifaceted as rarely any before. At the beginning of the decade, hundreds of thousands protested because they wanted more than just “a bit of peace”. At the end of the decade, walls were not only tagged with graffiti but torn down. In between, West Germany went through a style mix, swaying between mainstream and underground. Shoulder pads, manta-style, carrot jeans or home-dyed dungarees, mohawk, mullet or pop-haircut, there were a lot of sources of friction, in fashion, in politics, in the streets. And at the forefront: music. Because pop culture dominated daily life like never before and was very diverse in itself. In , we want to revive some facets of this not always stylish decade, with many songs and hits from that time. (Announcement Gandersheimer Domfestspiele)

A young woman, torn between her duty, her needs and the allure of the forbidden: Effi von Briest is married to Baron von Innstetten at a young age. He sees her as the token wife he needs for his career as a high-ranking public official. Effi is attractive and charming, and first and foremost she is from a good family.

She gets married full of curiosity about real life. But that is exactly what is hard to come by in her new home. The town of Kessin, where Innstetten lives, is parochial, and Innstetten himself is almost entirely occupied with his career. Effi is bored and gets lonely. Only her encounter with Major Crampas promises a bit of adventure and freedom. Soon, the connection between Effi and the childhood friend of her husband is more than amiable. Innstetten only becomes aware of the romantic relationship years later – and dutifully accepts the consequences.

Theodor Fontane’s novel Effi Briest portrays a society paralysed by its conventions. The need for change is palpable. Change of values, of life principles. But the path is still blocked. Effi Briest is probably Fontane’s most famous female character. Her story touches on basic questions of happiness and morals, freedom of decision and the weight of expectations. (Announcement Theater Lüneburg)